36 Botanical Excursion to the Mountains of North Carolina. 



The only nnwooded portion of the ridge which we ascended, 

 an exposed rock a few yards in extent, presents a truly Alpine 

 aspect, being clothed with Lichens and Mosses, and with a dense 

 mat of the mountain Leiophyllum, a stunted and much branched 

 shrub (five to ten inches high,) with small coriaceous leaves, 

 greatly resembling Azalea procumhens* The much denser 

 growth, and the broader, more petiolate, and perhaps uniformly 

 opposite leaves, as well as the very different habitat, would seem 

 to distinguish the mountain plant from the L. buxifolium of the 

 Pine Barrens of New Jersey, &c. ; but, although I think the 

 learned DeCandolle has correctly separated the former, under the 

 name of L. serpyllifolium, (Ledum serpyllifolium, UHer. ined.) 

 it is not easy to find sufficient and entirely constant distinctive 

 characters ; since the sparse scabrous puberulence of the capsule 

 may also be observed upon the ovary of the low-country plant, 

 in which the leaves are likewise not unfrequently opposite ; and 

 no reliance can be placed on the length of the pedicels. The 

 synonomy requires some correction : the Ledum buxifolium of 

 Michaux (in summis montibus excelsis Carolinse), and of Nut- 

 tall, (so far as respects the plant which " is extremely abundant 

 on the highest summits of the Catawba Ridge," that is, on Ta- 

 ble Momitain,) as well as the Leiophyllum buxifolium of Elliott, 

 (from the mountains of Greenville district. South Carolina,) must 

 be referred to L. serpyllifolium, DC. We were too late to ob- 

 tain the plant in blossom, excepting one or two straggling spe- 

 cimens ; but we were so fortunate as to procure a few flowering 

 specimens of Rhododendron Catawbiense. 



I should have remarked, that so much time was occupied in 

 the ascent of this mountain as nearly to prevent us from herbor- 

 izing around the summit for that day ; since we had to descend 

 some distance to the nearest spring of water, and prepare our en- 

 campment for the night. The branches of the Balsam afl'orded 

 excellent materials for the construction of our lodge, the smaller 

 twigs with large mats of moss stripped from the rocks furnished 

 our bed, and the dead trees supplied us with fuel for cooking our 

 supper, and for the large fire we were obliged to keep up during 



* We are confident that the latter does not grow on the Grandfather Mountain, 

 as is stated by Pursh, on the authority of a specimen collected by Lyon ; and have 

 little doubt that he mistook for it this species of Lciophyllum. Vide Pursh, Flora 

 Miner. Sept. 1. p. 154, and p. 301. 



